by Kofi Thompson

Created on: October 18, 2008

Title: "I Joined an Online Community Once!"
I joined an online community once
In my enthusiasm to participate
I unwittingly became a nuisance
Filling the in-boxes
Of scientific minds
With my off-topic meanderings
Until disaster struck
I answered what I thought
Was private mail
From a member of the list
To my horror
Back it came
The property
Of the whole list
Then came the sniggering-set

Crowing
That the nuisance
Had had his come-uppance
What to do?
But do the decent thing
And retire from the list
Then the true nature
Of some began to show
In endless posts
They made cruel jokes
Obviously aimed
At the nuisance
That-used-to-be
Poor souls
One mentioned Fair Trade
Not to be confused
With trade fair said he
Hello
Do you mind?
We have actually been involved
In the Fair Trade movement for yonks
Then another came up
With a solar fantasy
Weed biochar-maker
For bare-feet-farmers
Another sage intoned
Hello
Seen any flying-pigs lately?
Actually
We have prepared vegetable beds
For a biochar experiment of our own
Do you not know
When to forgive
Another human being
For a faux pas?
Human nature
Little minds
Brilliant minds
Good people
Narrow-minded
Insular folk
Broad-minded
Kindly souls
Life
It takes all sorts
I joined an online community once
But will never post
Online on one again
Just absorb
The wisdom posted online
And keep
My foolishness
To myself
I joined
An online community once
But never again
Lest the cruel-set
And the sniggering-set
Declare open season
On a sensitive soul!

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